


Goldbeard

by Luv_Bowie_Luver



Category: David Bowie (Musician), pirates - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Implied Sexual Content, Implied Slash, M/M, No Actual Sex Scenes, Pirate Bowie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-30
Updated: 2015-04-20
Packaged: 2018-03-20 08:17:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 6,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3643194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luv_Bowie_Luver/pseuds/Luv_Bowie_Luver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yarr! A pirate's life for Bowie? When David wakes up on a ship out at sea with no idea how he got there, he quickly learns that in order to survive his new crewmates; he must become a ruthless pirate...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fearless

**Author's Note:**

> Physical description of Fearless (Bowie) has been left out. He has so many different looks, so you can just imagine whichever one you like best :)

The sun rose slowly over the horizon to reveal a glittery blue ocean, the weather was fine and a gentle breeze rustled through his hair. He slowly opened his eyes, the slight rocking motion of the ship was... wait, _what?_  
  
  
He sat up quickly and looked around with wide eyes now, how did he get on a ship??  
  
  
His eyes cast towards the mast, the black flag sporting a symbol of skull and crossbones...  
  
  
_Oh no..._  
  
  
"He's awake, Cap'n!" came a gruff voice to his left.  
  
  
He turned to see a man watching him, he had a thick, dark beard and carried a cutlass. Slowly climbing to his feet, he saw the Captain approaching him and he lifted his chin.  
  
  
"What be yer name, laddie?" asked the Captain.  
  
  
"David," came his uncertain reply, "David Bowie... "  
  
  
"Well, Mister Bowie," replied the Captain, placing the tip of his cutlass right under David's chin, "welcome aboard the Dragon's Tongue, yer now part of me crew... "  
  
  
With a flash in his eyes of irritable anger, David pushed the cutlass away with one hand.  
  
  
"How did I get here?" he demanded.  Looking a little surprised, the Captain smiled at him.  
  
  
"Yer a fearless one, matey," he remarked, "I'll give yer that... "  David held his gaze, determined to not be intimidated by this ruffian. "The name's Captain Goldbeard," the Captain introduced himself, though David thought it was strange because the guy did not even _have_ a beard, "let me introduce yer to me crew... "  
  
  
David remained silent for now, perhaps he was dreaming or something?  
  
  
"This is Barrel," Captain Goldbeard began, pointing to a man whose gut looked very much like a barrel, "me First Mate, if yer be needin' anythin' - yer best go ta him first."  Barrel nodded and smiled, revealing half rotten teeth with yellow stains. "Over there," Captain Goldbeard went on, introducing him to everyone.  
  
  
There were quite a few crew members, all different and nearly all of them just as nasty looking as Barrel. Goldbeard was not so bad, being the Captain certainly had been kind to him but David still did not yet trust any of them. Not one of them had a real name, only a nickname to suit either a physical trait or talent.  
  
  
"Ya need a name, matey," Goldbeard said to him, looking him over and scratching his head. David grimaced as he saw lice fall from the captain's fingernails afterwards, it made his stomach churn - just how long had these people been at sea?  Just then, there came a shout from the Crow's Nest from the crewman named Hawkeye.  
  
  
"Ship, Ahoy!" he called down. Suddenly there was a flurry of activity, Captain Goldbeard stood behind the ship's wheel and the others began to man the cannons upon his order. David wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, the vessel swung about and Captain Goldbeard instructed them to flank the other ship. Looking out across the water, David noticed the other ship's crew were heading down below; in fear?  
  
  
He cast his gaze back up to the flag once more, _of course..._  
  
  
He sighed and suddenly felt something thrust into his hand, looking down at it and back up at Barrel; he looked nervous.  
  
  
"That's yer very own cutlass, matey!" Barrel told him, rushing off to make sure everyone knew what to do. The plan was to board and loot the other ship, but he'd never used a cutlass in his life! He frowned and looked at the Captain, his steely gaze still managed to impress Goldbeard; who grinned back at him knowingly.  
  
  
"Get movin' Fearless!" Goldbeard called down to him, "yer one of _us_ now... "  David did not look at all pleased with the news, he turned and walked over to where some of the other crewmen were standing.  
  
  
"Just _great_ ," he muttered, as they all shouted excitedly around him and waved their blades up over their heads, "I'm a fucking _pirate!_ "


	2. Unrest

There were a few guards onboard the other vessel, but the moment they were boarded by the pirates; they were taken out within seconds. David hung back a little, unnerved by the sight of slashed throats and gushing blood. He kept his wits about him, but thankfully there were no others to clash with here and the pirates went below. He didn't follow them down into the below decks, aware of the Captain watching him from the pirate ship's wheel.  
  
  
His gaze fell upon a fallen guard, who was barely able to haul himself up onto all fours. The guard swiftly lit something, struggling to crawl over to where the pirates had gone below deck. David walked a little closer and realized the item the guard was holding would explode within moments, killing everyone and likely sinking the ship. He anxiously gripped his cutlass, then placed his booted foot upon the guard's wrist and ignored the way he cried out in pain. He picked up the explosive and tossed it overboard, then he looked down at the guard with a hard stare.  
  
  
"Fearless!" shouted the Captain, "bring 'im over 'ere!"  David looked at the Captain, then hauled the guard to his feet by his shirt and dragged him back across to the Dragon's Tongue. Captain Goldbeard smiled his crooked grin and the guard fell to his knees when David let go of him.  
  
  
"He's not hurt too badly," he growled happily, "the men will have some fun with him tonight... "  David looked at him curiously.  
  
  
"Fun?" he asked, "what do you mean by that?"  
  
  
"Never yer mind, matey," Captain Goldbeard shook his head, "now get 'im down below and tie 'im up."   David grasped the scruff of the guard's shirt and took him down to the lower deck, finding some rope to tie him up with was easy on a ship. The guard begged desperately in French, but he didn't quite catch what was being said and he left.  
  
  
The pirate crew had returned, pleased with themselves and a few were covered with blood. David tried not to think about it, as they all claimed whatever food and trinkets they'd managed to steal for themselves. There wasn't any sharing on a pirate ship, each one only looked out for himself - something David was quick to learn during the next several days.  
  
  
They showed him the ropes of how to do certain tasks on the ship, many of them were quite fond of David and he found it easy to get them to do his jobs whenever he felt tired. The Captain tended to favor him quite a lot, too and it didn't go unnoticed by the crew - especially Barrel. Barrel was growing more and more jealous of David by the day, he found the newcomer a threat to his position as First Mate on the ship.  
  
  
Often, Goldbeard would allow David to shave in his cabin. It was something not even Barrel was allowed to do, as everyone else on the ship sported thick, unkempt beards.  
  
  
David was aware of the growing resentment towards himself, keeping his eye on Barrel and avoiding him when possible. Barrel would always make sure to upset David whenever he could, trying to make him angry by tripping him up or making him drop his food onto the floor. But it almost always backfired, for as heartily as the crew laughed; including the Captain - They would always let David eat from their plates if he was hungry enough.  
  
  
It planted a seed of hatred within David's chest, one that was about to bloom and explode into a fight to the death very soon...


	3. Rabbit

One clear evening, when most had gone below to sleep; David walked to the bow of the ship and leaned on the railing. Gazing down at the water, he watched the waves crash gently into the ship as it plowed along and he sighed heavily.  
  
  
"You alright, Fearless?" came a nervous voice.  
  
  
It wasn't uncommon to hear a nervous tone whenever somebody spoke to him directly, he had quite the reputation by now. He didn't take orders from anyone but the Captain, didn't hesitate to kill on command and was the only one to now carry a pistol - Except for Goldbeard himself and Barrel. He'd been in a number of fights and hadn't lost yet, many of them had been with Barrel.  
  
  
Looking around, he saw the crewmate 'Rabbit' sitting nearby. David liked Rabbit, he wasn't dirty or smelly like the others and he spoke a lot better, too.  
  
  
"Yeah," David answered him, turning his gaze to the stars, "I'm alright."  
  
  
But he wasn't.  
  
  
As far as his eyes could see, there wasn't a stretch of land anywhere and he still had no idea how he'd wound up here. Accepting that this was in fact real, he closed his eyes and lowered his head in defeat. He'd been holding onto the hope that he would wake up soon, but it seemed less and less likely as the weeks and months passed. He became aware of Rabbit's hands upon his shoulders and was grateful for the massage that soon followed, his muscles were sore and tense.  
  
  
"At least you have a great name," said Rabbit.  David smirked a little.  
  
  
"Why _do_ they call you Rabbit?" he asked, curious.  
  
  
"Well, for two reasons," replied Rabbit, "for one, I am very quick."  He continued to massage David's shoulders, it was really helping him to relax.  
  
  
"And two?" asked David. Rabbit slowly moved to stand in front of David, hands still upon his shoulders.  
  
  
"I'm a little ashamed to say," Rabbit spoke softly now, eyes gazing into David's purposefully. He leaned in, but David gently recoiled from him.  
  
  
"No," David said carefully.  Rabbit stood back and smiled, a little embarrassed.  
  
  
"Okay," he shrugged, "I am not offended... But when you have been out at sea for as long as the rest of us, perhaps you will change your mind." He bid David goodnight and went below. David returned his gaze to the water ahead, hearing heavy footsteps approaching him from behind.  
  
  
"Ain't nobody ever said no ta Rabbit b'fore," said Captain Goldbeard, grinning callously. David remained silent, even when Goldbeard started touching his hair in apparent fascination. It wasn't greasy or full of lice, so likely it was not a common sight onboard this vessel.  
  
  
"Are ya homesick, matey?" asked Goldbeard.  
  
  
"A little," David replied.  
  
  
"Aye, I know tha feelin'," Goldbeard sympathized, "but don't worry too much, Fearless. We're headin' inland soon enough." David looked at him now, having had enough and swatting his hand away.  Goldbeard chuckled amusedly.  
  
  
"I like you, matey," he spoke approvingly, "yer startin' ta become quite the ruthless pirate and yer ain't a-scared o' _nuthin'!_ "  There was a certain amount of fear among the pirates, because their Captain was rather cruel. David had seen just one crewmate disobey Goldbeard, he could still smell the guy's entrails whenever he thought about it...  
  
  
Goldbeard laughed again and walked away, leaving David alone once more to wonder just exactly where they were going to end up...?

 


	4. Captain's Favor

Eventually, he turned and walked slowly towards the hatch that would take him into the shared quarters of the crew. There were either hammocks or sacks to sleep on and it was first in best dressed, but no matter how late he got down there; David always got a hammock. He only had to haul someone out of it, they wouldn't usually fight him so he would sleep comfortably enough.  
  
  
"Fearless," came a firm voice. He did not turn around.  
  
  
"Yes, Captain?" he sighed, tired and just wanting to sleep now.  
  
  
"In 'ere," the Captain insisted. David turned now, Goldbeard was motioning for him to enter the Captain's Quarters.  
  
  
"Yes, Sir," David said quietly, stepping inside and hearing the door shut behind him. Goldbeard stood by the door, watching him as he looked around the cabin.  
  
  
"Yer welcome ta spend the night, matey," Goldbeard offered. There was an actual bed, it was rather large and looked so inviting to the sleepy sailor.  
  
  
"Very generous of you, Captain," David turned to look at him now, "thank you... "  Goldbeard nodded and David carefully got into the bed, it took less than a minute for him to fall asleep once his head lay nestled into the soft pillows.  
  
  
**  
  
  
Morning saw him being spooned by an unconscious Goldbeard, he didn't attempt to shift away and simply closed his eyes again to snooze a little longer. When he awoke again, Goldbeard was gone so he got up and stretched lazily. He had not slept so well in months, he could certainly get used to this...  
  
  
He went out onto the deck and then headed down to the Messdeck for breakfast. Barrel was watching him with jealous eyes, as usual and David avoided him - as usual.  
  
  
*  
  
  
A few hours later, he was watching a burly fellow by the name of Badger mop the deck when Barrel approached him. Suddenly, all eyes were upon the two as David stood up and met Barrel's gaze with his own.  
  
  
"I didn't see yer last night, Fearless," Barrel accused David, "where'd ya sleep, eh?"  
  
  
"Did you stay awake _all night?_ " David kept his tone even and calm.  
  
  
"Well... No," Barrel faltered.  David stared him down and Barrel turned away, grumbling under his breath. A shiver went down David's spine, had Barrel planned to murder him while he slept last night?  Perhaps it was near time to exchange blows with this scurvy dog, once and for all...


	5. Reputation

His chance came only two days later, he'd slept in Goldbeard's cabin for the last few nights now and Barrel was seeing red.  David now stood alongside Goldbeard at the ship's wheel, overlooking the rest of the crew.  
  
  
"I want to thank yer, Fearless," Goldbeard said quietly, so as not to be overheard.  
  
  
"Captain?" David wasn't sure what he meant. Goldbeard stared ahead, making sure to stay on course.  
  
  
"Fer not sayin' nothin' about me to the crew," Goldbeard explained, "the thing is, I miss me wife somethin' awful... "   David was silent.  
  
  
"I had ta leave real sudden," Goldbeard went on, "runnin' from tha law, y'see... I caught some sneak tryin' ta break inta me home an' I killed 'im... Didn't mean ta do it, sometimes I forget me own strength... "   He looked at David, he seemed almost apologetic.  
  
  
"I know yer wake before I do," Goldbeard added, "I appreciate it, jest so ya know... Not movin' I mean, and comin' back despite me roamin' hands."  
  
  
David averted his gaze to the ocean and neither of them ever spoke about it again.

 

Barrel had been watching David for a long time, finally he'd had about enough. He waited until David left the Captain's side, following him silently as he walked along to stretch his legs. Barrel drew his cutlass and struck at David, who was already aware of his presence and had rested his hand upon his own cutlass moments beforehand. David spun around, the two blades clashed loudly and all eyes fell upon the two once more.  
  
  
Goldbeard did not intervene, the crew gathered around and goaded them on as they repeatedly clashed their cutlasses together. Barrel lunged at David angrily, his skill corrupted by rage and jealousy. David remained calm and watched carefully for his opportunity, he sent Barrel's cutlass flying out of his hand and tripped him up. Barrel soon had David's boot upon his neck, his wide eyes staring up in disbelief.  
  
  
"Finish 'im, Fearless!" the Captain ordered.  
  
  
The crew chimed in, encouraging David. He looked down at Barrel's face, which looked hurt and betrayed. Then, he steeled his gaze and brought his boot down hard. Everyone fell silent as the sickening crunch was heard, a gurgle of a half scream and then all was quiet. Barrel twitched a few times and then he lay still. It was over.  
  
  
"Badger, get rid o' tha body," Goldbeard ordered, "Fearless, yer now me First Mate."  David looked up.  
  
  
"Yes, Captain," he said firmly.  
  
  
Badger dragged Barrel away and the others retreated from David's personal space, not wanting to be next...

 


	6. Captain Fearless

That night, Goldbeard stood by the door like he always did to wait for David to fall asleep.  
  
  
"Captain," David ventured, "where are we going?"  
  
  
"Have yer ever heard of the Shadow Isle?" asked Goldbeard. David frowned and shook his head lightly.  
  
  
"They say the water there is blacker than oil," Goldbeard told him, "and a thousand times thicker, no ship that ever sailed in it has ever gotten out again...  "  
  
  
"Are we going there?" asked David.  
  
  
"Aye, we are," replied Goldbeard, "there's said to be a treasure on that island that'd set us all up for the rest of our days and then some."  
  
  
"Is it dangerous?" David's brow furrowed curiously.  
  
  
"It is," nodded Goldbeard.  
  
  
"Alright," David lay down his head and closed his eyes. Goldbeard smiled a little, shaking his head slowly.  
  
  
"Fearless to a fault," he muttered softly, watching David's breathing slow down as he fell asleep, "reminds me of meself when I was younger."  He waited a while longer, then climbed in carefully and draped his arm over David; pulling him tight against his body and falling asleep shortly afterwards.  
  
  
**  
  
  
Around noon the next day, came a cry that would change events dramatically.  
  
  
"Ship Ahoy!" Hawkeye shouted.  
  
  
"You all know what ta do!" Goldbeard commanded and everyone rushed to prepare for the attack. It was different this time, because the other ship also flew a pirate flag and were obviously headed in the same direction as the Dragon's Tongue. This would be a battle that only one crew would walk away from to tell the tale, if any at all managed to survive.  
  
  
"Fearless!" Goldbeard called out, "at me side!"  
  
  
David took his position at the Captain's side and the two ships drew alongside one another.  
  
  
"Fire!" shouted Goldbeard and the two vessels exchanged cannonballs.  
  
  
The ship shuddered and rocked, but held firm without a direct blow. The other crew used ropes to swing over onto the Dragon's Tongue, blades began to clash and the roar of the fighting pirates was deafening. Goldbeard and David took out their pistols, they had to be careful to only shoot the enemy. David was about to take a shot, when suddenly there was a loud noise right behind him. He was distracted by it for a moment, then took the shot - A direct hit.  
  
  
He killed four more, and the enemy was subdued. Turning to look at Goldbeard, his gaze dropped to the deck.  
  
  
"Captain?" he knelt down by the crumpled body, "Captain, _please_... "  
  
  
But Goldbeard was dead. David stood up slowly, turning to the crew who were staring up at him expectantly. He carefully placed the Captain's hat upon his own head, daring anyone to oppose him.  
  
  
"Any objections?" he asked firmly. A murmur among the crewmen suggested they did not want to challenge him.  
  
  
"Good," David snarled, "get this mess cleaned up."  
  
  
"Aye Aye, Captain Fearless!" they all said in unison.  
  
  
He kept on course, determined to see Goldbeard's mission through to the end.


	7. The Tribe

By sunrise the next day, they had almost arrived at their destination.  
  
  
"Land 'ho!" called Hawkeye and everyone rushed to look out over the bow of the ship.  
  
  
"Prepare to drop anchor!" David instructed them, so they returned to their stations and began to lower the sails. The anchor was dropped just a little way out from the shore, the crew gazed at the murky depths with uncertainty and nervousness.  
  
  
"How do we get ashore, Captain?" asked Badger. David was silent for a moment, trying to think of a way across the sticky, black waters. His heart was heavy, having grown close to Goldbeard only to lose him in such a brief moment. He stared out at the dark island, hearing something down in the waters below. His gaze fell to a sort of slimy bridge, it hadn't been there before but it seemed like their only hope.  
  
  
"Gather up the supplies," he told the remaining crew, "Badger, Hawkeye; you two stay here and guard the ship. The rest of you, with me!"  Shouts of 'Aye Captain' followed shortly after and they soon made their way slowly across the slimy bridge.  
  
  
"What's it made from, Captain?" asked Rabbit, who was right behind David with hopes of serving him as First Mate. David looked down uneasily, it looked like many giant tentacles; all twisted and entwined together to form a bridge.  
  
  
"Probably best we don't know," he replied at last, trying not to slip because there'd be no getting out of that black water...    They finally reached the shore and the bridge slowly sank beneath the waves, the sticky waters slurping and gurgling as it did so. David took a deep breath and turned to the jungle before them, took out Goldbeard's map and in single file; they all began to follow it.  
  
  
"I don't like this place," Rabbit was jittery, sticking close to David. Just then, they heard a fearful screech and everyone halted in their tracks. All eyes were wide and looking around for the source, except for David's because he was looking at the map and deciding which way to go next.  
  
  
"Banshee," whispered Tall-Tale, who was given his name because he often made up stories to keep the crew entertained.  
  
  
"Nonsense," David scolded him, "keep moving... "  They followed him anxiously, deeper and deeper into the trees until they had to stop because they had found food that wasn't rations or fish. David allowed them to eat, they needed a break anyway while he studied the map. There was a sort of poem on the side, which he was curious about.  
  
  
"If it's treasure yer seek," he read out loud, turning some heads, "and greedy yer be, death shall come swiftly and failures ye be... "   His brow furrowed, the message was loud and clear but also rather cryptic.  
  
  
"Packer," David spoke to a man who was given his name because he always packed away more than anyone else could carry, "pack some fruit for Badger and Hawkeye, the rest of you - Let's get moving. I want to be back on the ship before nightfall."   There was a picture of a cave on the map, so that's where he was going to lead them. Goldbeard had scrawled a rough X over it, there was very little else to go on. As they neared the treeline, a loud noise stopped them again but this time it was coming directly towards them.  
  
  
The crew unsheathed their cutlasses, David drew his pistol and a huge creature suddenly burst through the trees with a deafening screech. It held in it's clawed hands, what appeared to be a small child; but it looked a little strange. The child had long, dark hair with light brown skin but it was her eyes that made her so unusual. They were purely black, and big; shaped like almonds without whites or an iris. She was screaming as if frightened, clearly this monster had taken her and planned to make a meal out of her. It was confused by the pirates, stopping to look at them and bare it's sharp teeth. It looked a bit like a gorilla, but with sharp teeth and long claws; it stood easily 12ft tall at least...  
  
  
"Bring it down!" David ordered the crew, they rushed at the beast and surrounded it quickly. The creature lashed out at them, knocking some of them unconscious but soon they had overwhelmed it and the beast began to topple over. It's claws released the little girl, David heard her squeal and he held out his arms; catching her safely before she struck the ground. Just then, a kind of tribe of people that looked similar to the girl came rushing through the trees. They slowed to a halt when they came upon the scene and lowered their primitive weapons, the danger was over and they did not threaten the pirates.  
  
  
A woman approached David and he set the girl down, the woman embraced the child and offered David a grateful smile before taking her daughter back to wherever they'd come from. The obvious leader of this tribe stepped forwards, holding up his hand in greeting. David copied his gesture and the tribe relaxed, sensing no immediate danger from the pirates. While the tribe leader and David spoke quietly, the tribe and the crew began to mingle curiously. The men of the tribe wore nothing at all, while the women wore only skirts made of either big leaves or long grass - leaving their breasts exposed.  
  
  
This excited the crew and David kept his eye on them, to make sure they didn't get too frisky and cause an upset. They were invited back to the village, David agreed and there was a lot of celebrating once they arrived. David hung back from the festivities, sitting by a tree and going over the map. One of the women from the tribe came and sat beside him, he looked at her and gave her a brief smile.  
  
  
"Thank you for saving my sister's daughter," the woman told him, "that monster has been stealing members of our tribe for many years."  
  
  
"What will you do with it?" asked David.  
  
  
"Nothing will go to waste," replied the woman. David sighed and leaned against the tree, his gaze cast to the sky and the woman watched him for a moment.  
  
  
"You are not like the others," she commented, "they are quite hands-on... "  David looked to his crew, many of them were taking an interest in the women and seemed eager to fornicate with them.  
  
  
"Do you find it offensive?" David asked her.  
  
  
"Not at all," the woman replied, "we don't get many visitors here, it causes a lot of problems... It is good to have some outside blood... "  David glanced at her curiously, but she turned away with a blush and a shy smile. He could only assume the women planned to use the crewmen for sex, as they clearly outnumbered the tribe's men 5 to 1.  Possibly some of them would fall pregnant, which would help to stem any inbreeding issues the tribe might have otherwise suffered.  
  
  
It was agreed that they would stay the night, though David was keen to get moving and return to the ship; he would not begrudge his crew a night of pleasure with the opposite sex.  
  
  
As he watched them all head off to the huts, David remained where he was for a while longer. He still felt the loss of Goldbeard weigh heavily in his heart, there wasn't anything sexual about their closeness but it wasn't just a friendship either. They had a connection, an understanding; a mutual respect. He glanced up as the woman from earlier approached him, she smiled at him seductively and held out her hand. He slowly stood up and accepted her hand into his own, he felt helpless to resist her; his mind slightly clouded as she led him back to her hut and closed the door.


	8. The Haul

Morning found everyone waking in the arms of a tribeswoman, including David; who couldn't remember sex ever feeling so wonderful. Perhaps it was due to being out at sea for so long now, he was beginning to understand what drove his crew to sodomy a little more clearly.  
  
  
*  
  
  
Later, they all set out for the cave once again and this time they had a guide from the tribe to show them the best way. As they reached the cave, shortly after noon; the guide stopped and would go no further.  
  
  
"Why hasn't the tribe taken the treasure for itself?" asked David.  
  
  
"We have no need of such things," replied the guide, "whatever would we do with it?"  David looked to the yawning mouth of the cave, it was eerily silent and sunlight could not pierce the blackness within.  
  
  
"Is there anything dangerous inside?" David asked.  
  
  
"Yes," the tribesman answered him, "a very clever beast, it will not allow greedy hearts to take the treasure it guards so closely. Only those with unselfish intent may help themselves... "  
  
  
And with that, he promptly left.  
  
  
David turned to his crew, they had already lit torches and were ready to venture inside.  
  
  
"Let's go," David was the first to enter into the cave, his crew following shortly after.  
  
  
There were some twists and turns, but eventually they made their way to an enormous cavern. They stopped, because a huge lake spread before them. The water was still, a thin line of rock went directly across to the other side. It looked too easy, all they had to do was cross the rocky bridge and they'd reach the treasure on the other side. They could see an opening over there, with some gold coins spilling out of it.  
  
  
"What're we waitin' fer?" asked Fingers, who got his name for his fast pick pocketing skills, "treasure lay right ahead! I'll be rich! Whores, here I come!"  He rushed off before David could stop him, shuffling across the thin bridge.  
  
  
"Fingers!" David shouted, but it was too late. A giant tentacle suddenly erupted from the water, smashing through the perfect stillness of the surface.  
  
  
Fingers barely had time to scream before it curled around his midsection, dragging him down into the murky depths below.  
  
  
Everyone stood in silence as the surface of the water became still once more, like a blackened mirror of death. They all exchanged glances, concerned whispers began to arise and David quieted them down.  
  
  
"I'll go myself," he told them, "give me the sacks, I'll fill as many as I am able."  He took the sacks and approached the thin, rocky bridge uncertainly. Slowly, he stepped out onto it and inched his way across. His heart was hammering in his chest, his eyes never leaving the other side while his crew searched the water for any sign of the beast below. In time, he had made it across safely and there was a collective sigh of relief. Clearly there was some truth to the poem after all, for David's intentions towards the treasure were unselfish...  
  
  
He filled each sack until they were overflowing, it took several trips back and forth but there remained no further signs of the beast. When each crew member had a sack of treasure each, something erupted from the water and landed on the ground nearby. It was a skeleton, probably it belonged to Fingers. The crew decided they had quite enough gold now to serve them well, leaving the cave and the rest of the treasure behind.  
  
  
David was carrying two sacks of treasure, one that would have belonged to Goldbeard and the other for himself. They slowly made their way back to the ship, Rabbit and Tall-Tale held two sacks as well but these were for Hawkeye and Badger. As they approached the shore, the strange, slimy bridge rose up to greet them and they slowly got back to the Dragon's Tongue. Within moments they were sailing away from the island, the crew were happy and keen to get back to land so they could spend their newfound wealth. Of course the trip was full of potential hazards, they risked being looted by other pirates as well as one another...  
  
  
Greed was an uncertain thing, for it made someone else's sack of treasure seem bigger than one's own. David kept his two sacks locked up tight in the Captain's Quarters, but he had to keep a sharp eye on his crew all the same. They could attack each other at any given moment, or accuse each other of stealing from them while they slept. There were some months to go before they would reach any land where they could spend their gold, so tensions were high and suspicion mounted quickly.  



	9. Love At Sea

One evening, David stood at the ship's wheel and stared out at the water absently. The crew were below, comparing stories about their wild night several months ago with the tribal women and tensions were at an all time low. He became aware of Rabbit, who had crept out and now stood beside him silently.  
  
  
"What will you do with Goldbeard's treasure?" asked Rabbit, after a few minutes had passed.  
  
  
"I shall find his widow, somehow," replied David, "it is rightfully hers now."  
  
  
Rabbit nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving David for even a moment. When David turned to look at him, Rabbit swallowed nervously and widened his eyes a little.  
  
  
"Did you want something, crewman?" David asked him, slightly impatient. Rabbit hesitantly touched David's cheek, lightly brushing his fingertips along his jawline. David quickly grasped Rabbit's wrist, glaring at him fiercely. Rabbit's heart began to pound within his chest, afraid of what might happen to him and remembering the poor sap whose entrails now garnished the ocean floor.  David kept his grip tight on Rabbit's wrist, pulling him into the Captain's Quarters. The door was locked behind them, Rabbit felt himself being hauled up against David's body; a rough kiss soon followed and they stumbled down onto the bed...


	10. Goldbeard's Widow

A few days later and the cry everyone was waiting for could finally be heard.  
  
  
"Land 'ho!" Hawkeye shouted excitedly, for it was the mainland at last.  
  
  
Lowering the flag, for pirates were frowned upon and hung if caught; they dropped anchor and were soon ashore. They agreed to meet back at the ship in a week's time, until then they were all free to do as they pleased. David was keen to locate Goldbeard's widow, but he did not know Goldbeard's real name nor the name of his wife.  
  
  
It was going to be tricky, because if he told anyone he was part of Goldbeard's crew; he would be tried as a pirate and hung for sure...  
  
  
**  
  
  
Being back on the mainland was a great feeling, though he ached in several places after the first few days because of his many fights at sea. He had sported several cracked ribs, and the occasional black eye or bloodied nose. He was walking along a path when he noticed something familiar, though he had never been to this place before; it was something he recalled Goldbeard saying to him one night as he fell asleep. There was a house with a beautiful garden, the most amazing sight it was; too. He remembered Goldbeard saying how his wife was the best gardener in town, there wasn't another like hers for miles around.  
  
  
_This had to be it..._  
  
  
He walked up to the front door and knocked loudly, hearing some shuffling sounds and then footsteps moments later. The door slowly opened and an old woman peered out anxiously, eyeing him up and down.  
  
  
"Yes?" she asked, "can I help you?"  
  
  
"I am sorry to bother you," David told her, "I bring news of Goldbeard... "  The old woman's eyes lit up, looking suddenly around.  
  
  
"Where is he?" she asked, "where is my husband?"   David lowered his gaze.  The old woman's eyes glittered with tears, realizing what his silence meant.  
  
  
"I have something that belongs to Goldbeard," David carried the sack over his shoulder, "I was hoping to find you, it is yours by right."  
  
  
"Come in," the old woman invited him, so he entered the house and placed the sack by the door. The old woman looked into it and gasped, her eyes wide with surprise.  
  
  
"I couldn't possibly!" she breathed. David looked around, she was clearly quite poor and in need of such a gift.  
  
  
"I think you can," he encouraged her, "he would have wanted you to."  The old woman hugged him, offering him some tea but David politely declined.  
  
  
"I must locate my crew and be off shortly," he told her, "I can't risk them being found out."  
  
  
"I understand," the old woman smiled at him, "you take care of those boys, won't you?"  David nodded.  
  
  
"Of course," he promised her. He left the old woman's home and returned to the ship, making sure everything was ready before they were due to set sail again. As he stood at the stern of the ship, staring out at the horizon and not quite believing his desire to get back out on the open sea; he heard someone approaching him. Turning slightly, he saw Rabbit come up to stand beside him. "When do we head out, Captain?" he asked. David returned his gaze to the horizon.  
  
  
"Tomorrow," he replied, "I am certain we have quite outstayed our welcome by now." Rabbit laughed softly in agreement.  
  
  
"Shall I go and round everybody up, Captain?" asked Rabbit.  
  
  
"Not right now, First Mate," replied David, "let them sleep tonight, we'll set sail come daybreak."  Rabbit smiled at him, turning away to go and spread the word to his crewmates...


	11. The Awakening

"David.... David?" There was a voice calling his name, but he was sleepy and didn't want to open his eyes, "David!"  
  
  
Reluctantly, David woke up and looked around the room; a little out of sorts.  
  
  
"Are you alright?" came the voice again, "you looked kinda bewildered... "   David frowned, glancing up at the vaguely familiar man.  
  
  
"I'm... Fine," he spoke hesitantly.  The man smiled at him.  
  
  
"Good," he relaxed, "we've fixed the problem with the mic, you can go back on now... "  David furrowed his brow, genuinely puzzled as he stood and followed the man out of the room. He was led to a stage and it suddenly all came rushing back to him. There'd been an issue with the microphone during his performance and he'd taken a break while they fixed it, so it _had_ been a dream all along?  
  
  
But... It felt so _real_...  
  
  
"It's all good now," the man encouraged him, "you can finish the concert."  
  
  
"I'm not sure," David was still a little disoriented.  
  
  
"Oh come on," the man grinned at him, "I've never known you to be anything but _fearless._ "  
  
  
David turned to the man and stared hard at him, it couldn't be...  
  
  
  
  
"Goldbeard?"

 

 

  
  
  
  
=THE END=


End file.
